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Occidental College Settles With Students Who Complained About Sex Assaults

Occidental College has reached a monetary settlement with at least 10 current and former students who filed a federal complaint alleging that the California institution mishandled reports of sexual assault, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Sources told the newspaper that officials at the college had agreed to pay the students an undisclosed sum, in exchange for their agreement that they would not speak publicly about how the college had handled their cases.

The women, represented by the lawyer Gloria Allred, were part of a group of 37 individuals who said the college had responded improperly to their reports of sexual misconduct. That group filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education in April, alleging violations of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the law that bars sex discrimination at institutions receiving federal funds.

The complaint has since been revised to include allegations from 13 more people, including some faculty members, according to the newspaper.

An Occidental spokesman said in a statement cited by the newspaper that the college would not comment except to say that the matter was confidential and had been resolved. He said the college “continues to move ahead with its efforts to address this important issue and make Occidental a national leader in dealing with sexual misconduct.”

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